Steam trap



June 7 1927.

H. C. MACAULAY STEAM TRAP !filed March 21. 1924 HERMAN.

Patented June 7, '1927.

: ;UNITED TA ES ,PATE NT oFFc HERMA c. MACAULAY, 'of: numronn, MAINEL 'a rugged Construction, and low cost, whichwill not beliab le to leakageand failure under severe Operating conditions. v

The especial purpose of my invention is the provision of a tra'p valve structure of such nature as to prevent wiredrawing and to obtain abrupt, complete valve` opening and equally sharp cutof? or closure of the trap dischargeport. I

i& 'further purpose of my invention is to provide a steam trap which'will successfully operate, unafiected by pressure varia'tions, and whose 'valve will open and close 'in a positive manner, without the' necessty ot special trap eeding, or periodic inletmeansg connnonly employed in attempting to obta'in such opening and closing. Hereto'ore it has been diflicult to construct a trap capable of satistactory operation. The conditions under which such devices must work are extremely severe; liquid usually comes to them in small quantities distributed over a space or" time but may enter in a solid stream. Their Capacity must be such as to accommodate the maximum or minimum flow, either intermittently or continuously. At one moment the trap `is receiving cold water, at the next high presure steam may be entering, yet the trap must operate equally well at high or low temperature or pressure, if the dra'ined device isto be adequately :freed of liquid. As is well known to those skilled in the art, it has proven almost impossible to provide a valve for such traps which will open wide and close completely tight. The valve is actuated by a float, or other device responsive to the liquicl in the trap body. Where the liquid conditions changed slowly, the valve opening also changed slowly, the valve often remaining only slightly opened :tor long periods. Small valve opening produced extremely high liquid velocity, (commonly called wiredrawing), resulting in a valve seat and disc so scored and cut that tight closing became impossible. lVith leaky valves the usefulness of the trap disappears, for when no liquid is entering the trap, steam is discharged and the whole device is purposeless.

The herein disclosed trap mechanism provides a minimum number of parts and has 'proven' in difficulties.

' Fig 1 isa cross-sectional elevation of a preferred embodiment of my invention.

Fig. 2 shows a detail of the valve mechanism in closed position, with thevalve cage shown in cross-section'upon a vertical plane to dsclose the valve ball position.

Figs. 3 and 4, are supplemental to Fig. 2,

and serve to illustrate other valve positions. Fig. 5 isalso supplemental to Fig. 2, but taken upon the line 5-5' of Fig. 3

Stea'm .traps are'commonly required to o`perate under pressure other than atmospheric, a suitable pressure tight shell or chamber 10,

having a removable cover 12, retained by suitable bolts 14, is therefore preferably empractice to eliminate the foregoing *ployed It will, of course,be understood that i such chambers may assume such form and structural detail as may be necessary to withstand existing pressure conditions, and mere ly serve to house the hereinafter' described mechanism anclto receive the liquid entel-ing 'through a` suitable inlet 16. Cover 12 is provided with a suita ble outlet and with internal projections 22' serving asbearings for the valve mechanism.

The valve nechanism comprises a float 25 nounted upon a` float rod 26. Rod %en gages the toggle bell crank 28 pivoted upon a 'pin :23 engaging the upper bearing projection 22. Crank 28, through pin 24, engages a slot 29 in the cap '31 of the valve box body 33.

The lower end of body 33`is closed by a bottom cap 35 pivoted through cap ear 37, and pin 39, upon the lower shell bearing *projection 22. Vertical motion of fioat 25 is transtormed, through the mechanism describedg'into oscillation of box 'body 33, respective tothe perpendicular.

Valve box 'body 33 serves to support and control a valve ball 40 which effects the closure of discharge port member 42.

The operation of ball valve 40, and the valve box, s best understood from Figs. 2 to 5 inclusive. In Figure l, the float 25 is shown in the position for low liquid level when no discharge is required. The corresponding valve position is shown to enla'rged detail in Fig. 2 it will be noted that the back of box body 33 is pressing the valve ball 40 closed irrespectiye of pressureconditions in shell 10.

As more liquid enters shell 10, the float rises until the liquid reaches such a level as that indicated at 51. The upper float position is approximately indicated by the dotted line 25% ball valve tO pull it away from the discharge port 42. Gravity immediately causes the i ball to roll to 'the rear of the body 33. The

position is indicated by the solid lin'es. The Valve is now entirely clear o'lj' the discharge ?port and completely protected from the discharge stream the box body 33, as is most clearly seen from Figure 5, taken in horizontal cross-section as indicated b-y the line 5-5 of Fig. 3. It will be noted that the closed body 33 shields the Val e from Velocity pressure tending to close` it and since there is not flow over, or around the valve ball, cutting or grooving is prevented. Discharge flow lines are indicated by the arrows of i Fig. 5.

Discharge continues until the fioat 25 again fioats uponlevel 50. In lower-ing, fioat 25 tilts box body 33 back beyond Vertical into its first position. As the perpendicular is passed, gravity rolls the ball 40 toward the discharge port 4:2 and the pressure of the escaping fluid, aoting as indicatecl in Fg. 3, snaps the Valve shut, obtaining' a quick sharp cutofi. It should be understoodthat pressure closure occurs only a second before the back of box 33 contacts with the ball 40, and it has been found that 'when the parts come to rest the box 33 will Box body 33 has now i been' oscillated beyond the ertical, to the position shown in Fig. 4. The edges 33-` en agng the' objects and improvements previously enumy inyention or the scope of the appended claims, Whatl claim is:

1. In a steam trap valve structure, a ball Valveand the'means for completely sh'ielding sai'd ball from fluid Currents When 'in open position which comprises a single opening Valve box; i

A 2. In a steam trap Valye structure, a pressure seated', graVity-actuated discharge valve ball a boz( shiel'd :tor said balha float externalto said box shield, and to ggle means translating fioat' notion into box position whereby the limit-of ball movement is defin ecl by the 'aforesaid float.

'3. A steam trap comprising a portecl-shell a fioat within said shell, a ValV-e box oscillated by said fioat, and .a alve ball carried within said box, said fioat 'oscillating said box to press the valveball to the port in said shell and completely shielding the ball up to the instant of seating.

4. Ajsteam trap comprising a shell, a fioat, a' ValVe actuating toggle, a ValVe boX, and a valve ball, said shell provided with suitable inlet and outlet ports and with bearings for said mechanism, said fioat responsive to fluid conditions 'within said shell and controlling said mchanis1n,said'valve actuating toggle responsive to the aforesaid float control and controlling thej position of said box, said box limiting and directing the' notion of said valve ball, s'aidball responsiveto the movements of said box and controlling the aforesaid 'shell outlet; 3 y

' Signed' at Rumford in the County of Oxford and State of Maine this 12th day of March, A, D. 1924,.

" HERMAN C. MACAULAY. 

